Gujarat Assembly polls: PM Modi casts vote in Ahmedabad

Prime Minister Narendra Modi cast his vote at a polling station in Ahmedabad on Monday during the second phase of the Gujarat Assembly polls.

Polling is underway since 8 am for the second and final phase of the state elections in 93 constituencies across 14 districts in the central and north regions and will go on till 5 pm.

Modi arrived at a polling station at Nishan High School in Ranip area of Ahmedabad city at around 9.30 am to exercise his franchise. He stood in a queue for a while to cast his vote.

After emerging from the polling station, the PM showed his inked finger to the crowd gathered to welcome him.

He then walked to his elder brother Soma Modi's house located near the polling station.

In the morning, Modi in a tweet appealed to people, particularly the young and women voters, to come in large numbers to exercise their franchise. He also urged those voting in the bypolls being held in different parts of the country ''to turnout in large numbers and vote.'' For the second phase of the Gujarat polls, a total of 833 candidates from 61 political parties, including Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), are in the fray in the 93 Assembly segments spread across Ahmedabad, Vadodara, Gandhinagar and other districts.

The first phase of voting for 89 seats in Saurashtra, Kutch and south Gujarat regions was held on December 1, when an average voter turnout of 63.31 per cent was recorded.

The counting of votes for the total 182 Assembly seats will be taken up on December 8.